As an avid skier I’m usually on the slopes at least once a year – more if I can find the time and money to get over to France and enjoy my favourite pastime. However, one thing I regularly find is that I have to explain why I choose to go skiing when I get a break, particularly over holidays in the sun. While my friends are all heading out to Spain or Cyprus and spending their time sunbathing or at the beach, I’m turning down the chance to join them in favour of another trip to the slopes.

But it seems no matter how much I try and convince some of my friends, they have these misconceptions about ski holidays that are hard to break. So to help convince some other sun-seekers of the benefits of a ski break, here are 5 of the most common misconceptions I hear about skiing:

It’s too expensive

This is easily the argument I hear the most from friends and family – that skiing is simply too expensive. While it’s true that buying the latest Oakley goggles or getting custom made skis can cost quite a bit, you can easily hire all of this equipment, and there are a wealth of budget-friendly resorts available all over Europe, particularly in places like France. Skiing can be expensive, but so can any type of holiday if you’re booking five star and first class – shop around, book in advance and spend your money wisely and you can easily get a great deal on a fantastic ski trip.

Sun is better than snow

The other one I hear all the time is people asking ‘why would you swap the sun for snow?’ I’m not sure why people think the slopes can’t be sunny, but if you go in spring you’ll get snow on the ground and beautiful sun in the sky – it really is the best of both worlds!

There’s nothing to do if you don’t want to ski

People always try and argue that there’s nothing to do on a ski trip if you don’t fancy hitting the slopes, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. For a start, there are a ton of other activities, from ice-skating to swimming, and if you don’t fancy the exercise, any half-decent resort will boast shopping, spas, restaurants, bars, cafes and lots of entertainment options. Ski holidays don’t have to be all about skiing!

I can’t relax on a ski holiday

For some reason people think of ski holidays as being adrenaline-filled, all-action affairs, but there’s so much more to them than that. I’ve already mentioned the spas and pools on offer, and the sun in many cases (meaning you can sunbathe), but you’re also in one of the most beautiful spots and will be surrounded by scenic walks, yoga, bike trails and usually a huge health and wellness scene.

I’m going to spend the whole time falling over

OK, if you’re not an experienced skier then there might be some truth to this one, but it’s not like it sounds. Falling over rarely hurts and it’s always a lot of fun, and once you start to make some progress you won’t be able to stop getting back up for another go.